Hooves On The Northern Lands
by The Red Ranger
Summary: Having had some things pointed out to me, I will be re-writing wthis story. Watch this space.
1. Chapter 1

**As long as I can remember, the Order of the Winter Wolves is all I have known. My whole life has been dedicated to its service, my only desire to become a knight, to live up to the legends of old. My earliest waking memories are of the ceiling in the chamber that has been mine ever since, and the face of Sir Salles, who remains head of order to this day, looking down at me as I turned my head to see where I was.**

**"What is your name?" he asked me.**

**People take such things for granted, and, for those few brief seconds, so had I. But when I opened my mouth to answer him, and no answer came, the fear that gripped my heart was a sensation I cannot describe. Stories sometimes liken fear to a dagger in the breast, a sword thrust into the belly. I have felt these things, and they are nothing like the feeling that came over me when I realised that knew nothing of who I was.**

**My distress must have been obvious, because Sir Salle's stern, scarred face was swiftly replaced by the lined, kindly face of an old woman, all but pushing the knight away from me with an air of gentle concern and authority. Sir Salles yielded in an instant, exiting the room and leaving me alone with the woman. As the door closed behind him, all I remember feeling was the swelling within me, the urge to weep blocked by something I now think was pride. But when she turned back to look at me, her expression was enough to tear down that dam. She comforted me as I wept. She didn't seem to need words; she simply sat beside me until my tears were exhausted. Then, still with few words, she guided me to a bath that had been drawn earlier, and changed me out of the dirty, ragged dress I had been wearing. Her name was Milari, a Dragon Blood, and a woman whose guidence and tutelage, I am certain, played some part in my Exaltation. She told me of how Sir Salles and his retinue had come across me in the nearby forest, eyes blank and my steps faltering. For a whole day, I said nothing.**

**It was a few days later that I decided on my name. Milari, had stayed with me, telling me about where I was, and about The Order. I wanted to know more, so she would bring books from the library. These tales of knights battling evil and darkness fascinated me. I knew from that moment that I wanted to stay with The Order. Where else could I go? I chose the name 'Kaya' when Milari told me of The Order's founder, Kayarus. Milari laughed at first, telling me that a man's name was hardly fitting. It was then that she began to teach me to speak Old Realm, and that I managed to render the name into its feminine form.**

**By the time I had regained my strength, I told her that I wanted to join The Order. She gave me the silent look I had grown used to, the kind that meant she was considering her words very carefully. She was like that. She spoke very little, except when she was reading from the tomes she brought to me.**

**We sat in silence for a while, and then Milari rose, smiling kindly. Then she told me about herself. She had remained silent about her own past up until then, and I hadn't thought to ask her. Now, she told me of her own time as a knight, the battles she had fought, and still did in spite of her advancing age. She told me how she had fought the Fair Folk, and slain barbarian raiders intent on pillaging an eastern village for slaves. Then she told me of the hardships of a knight's life, of the wounds she had received and the friends she had lost in battle. But none of this mattered to me. All I wanted was to find some kind of purpose in my life, and The Order was the only thing I knew. Something in the idea of knighthood called to me. From that moment, my mind was made up. Nothing she could say would discourage me. When this became clear, she silently sent a servant to fetch Sir Salles. He came within a few minutes, holding a wide gleaming blue and white jade shield embossed with a white lily that looked as if its weight was awkward even in his mighty arms.**

**He held it before me, and bade me lay my hand upon it, a gesture which Milari mirrored. My mouth was dry with anticipation as Sir Salles read the vows of the squire, which I haltingly repeated, awed as I was by the solemnity of the moment.**


	2. Chapter 2

**And so it was that I became Milari's squire. She gave me a wooden training sword and spear, and I left my room for the first time to train in the courtyard with the other squires. Dressed in a plain tunic and leggings, I stood there among the other squires, all of whom were older than I was. True, I didn't know my own age, but I was sure I couldn't have been much older than fourteen. The other squires were all between seventeen and nineteen, and I was also one of only six girls present among five times as many male squires. For the first time, as I felt their eyes upon me, doubt entered my mind. But after a few seconds of hesitation, I stepped into my place in their ranks, my hand gripping the hilt of my wooden sword. I looked up as Sir Salles' voice echoed across the assembled youths. With that to focus on, I was able to immediately put my misgivings out of my mind.**

**I lost myself in the sword drills that he directed us to perform. Milari told me I demonstrated considerable talent for it. Perhaps this held some clue as to my lost memories, but I no longer cared. I had sworn myself to The Order, and was resolved to prove myself to those who had taken me in, to see Milari's approval etched in her lined face. She was speaking much more now, although her silent looks still met my many questions about chivalry and the duties of a knight, as though considering her answers carefully. Milari was a gifted linguist, speaking nine tongues and innumerable dialects fluently. She knew the power of words, and rarely used them without thought. She taught me how to conduct myself in a manner befitting a knight, to understand the meaning of Chivalry. It was more than simple courage in battle. It was having the wisdom to know what was right, the strength to stand firm even when darkness seemed sure to overwhelm, and to do this with grace and composure. To this end, she taught me to dance and to sing, enrolling me in the temple choir when I showed a talent for it. And lastly, she taught me of humility. As a Dragon Blood, she knew all too well how those overcome by power were responsible for so much evil, and how nobody, no matter how powerful, should place themselves above others.**

**Sir Salles meanwhile, remained a distant figure, whom I could nonetheless feel watching me. Many were the times I would feel his eyes upon me even as he berated another student for some trivial error during training. I could tell he expected a lot of me. Perhaps my destiny was showing already, or perhaps it was simply that Milari was my sponsor. **

**In spite of my youth, I progressed well in my studies, and it wasn't long before I was allowed onto the battlefield, spear and shield in hand to defend our archers as we fought a band of beastmen. We were charged directly, and I admit I almost turned and ran. However, Sir Salles lead a charge right across their flank, timed perfectly so that the foe were caught by a volley of arrows mere seconds before the charge hit them. The few that survived kept charging towards us. They were no threat, and we finished them quickly. I had slain my first foe in battle, and my fear was gone, replaced by elation at what I thought of as a great victory.**

**It was that day that the distant Sir Salles spoke to me for the first time. Compared to him, Milari spoke more than the men-at-arms as they delved into their cups to celebrate. His words were simple and few, but his meaning was always clear. And his praise made my chest swell with a pride which was almost un-knightly. I am certain that Sir Salles knew this, even if he said nothing. I suppose that as a squire, and the youngest squire in the order at that, he felt me entitled to some leniency. And with that, he turned and retired to his pavilion.**

**The other squires looked at me with a mix of awe and envy. One in particular, the son of a merchant prince called Linas, seemed offended at Sir Salles' apparent favour towards me. This animosity had started only days previously, when I had, admittedly by luck alone, bested him in training. He was obsessed with glory, but this had sadly led to arrogance. He had trained every muscle in his body to near-perfection, except, as the others would remark, the ones for thinking with. And he regarded anyone who didn't do as he did to be an innate inferior.**

**He, like Milari, also had a talent with words, but he used them in ways that cut deeper than any sword. He was speaking as if to his own clique, but the volume of his voice made it clear that he intended everybody to hear what he was saying.**

"**Of course," he drawled between sips of wine, "the old man wouldn't want to discourage the little girl. Perhaps later he will let her embroider The Order's standard."**

**This drew a dutiful round of guffaws from his cohorts, and, determined to ignore his un-knightly conduct; I concentrated on cleaning my armour.**


	3. Chapter 3

**From then on, this behaviour continued. It seemed that Linas had joined The Order out of lust for combat and glory; anybody truly dedicated to the life of a knight would have conducted themselves in a more gracious manner towards someone who had demonstrated real skill. On the occasions I sparred with him in the training yard, he would attempt to seize every opportunity to physically humiliate me, although I am proud to say that I denied him the satisfaction all but a few times.**

**He attempted to verbally spar with me too, trying to provoke me into anger. Fortunately, Milari had been training me to deal with such things. She never referred to Linas specifically, but I am certain she knew what was going on. The righteous path is a difficult one, and it is the way of things that beings of darkness will try to pull you from it my manipulating your emotions. Through meditation, she taught me to ignore the words intended to make me surrender control. She also began to teach me advanced spear techniques through the Golden Janissary style of martial arts. She promised to awaken my essence one day that I could better serve The Order. Perhaps, she said, the blood of the dragons flowed in me. When I did not dream of other things, I dreamed that one day this power would awaken. I would imagine myself as a fire aspect, burning all the evil that stood in my path, even if, deep down, I wished I was an air aspect like Milari.**

**The years passed, and although the dragons never graced me, I followed Milari about her duties, whether in the temple, on the battlefield, or at the parties of the various nobles who courted The Order's favour. I was surprised by the apparently nonsensical workings of diplomacy, how diplomats could twist the meaning of words to make even the direst threat sound polite, and how drawing even the thinnest veil over obvious hostility was considered enough in a world where good manners were apparently considered paramount. I have little taste for it, nor do I understand the necessity for the metaphorical dance, but it seems to work better than plain speaking. I suppose that an established protocol makes those involved feel more at ease. Anybody negotiating with a rival will be suspicious, and the established manoeuvres must help to allay those fears. By following them, Milari told me, both sides show at least some small willingness to engage in the process. Still, I cannot help but feel a subtle distrust for people who deal in compromise. Perhaps such compromise is necessary when you cannot win, but I know that the return of the Solar Exalted will end that necessity. Finally, Creation will have the power to drive the Deathlords and the Fair Folk back to their own realms and bind them there.**

**As a mortal, I could only dream of such things, but my Exaltation changed everything...**


	4. Chapter 4: Exaltation

Exaltation:

The second day of resplendent fire; It was seven years after I had begun my training, and not long before I would be knighted. I knew by now that I would never become more than a mortal; However old I was, I was too old to have any hope of receiving the power of the Five Dragons, but I had fought with The Order in numerous battles now, and was becoming very skilled with both sword and spear. I had learned to ride and joust too, and I had taken first prize in the jousting tournament only weeks earlier. Of course, that was only in the mortal tournament, the God-Bloods and Terrestrial Exalted of The Order having a category all to themselves. Some of the squires, Linas especially, felt envy at this, but I knew that the essence-users couldn't help their parentage, and their powers were a blessing upon then entire order. When I had ridden into battle beside Milari, she would share her powers with me, the strength of Creation itself flowing through my being to help me smite its enemies. I felt no envy towards them, only respect and awe.

That day, we were not far from the chapter house, fighting a band of barbarians who had started plundering the surrounding villages. We had never known them to be this bold before, to strike so near our temple. But regardless, we marched against them. Little did we know what we would find waiting for us.  
The enemy had lined up on an open plain, and we saw now that they were lead by the fae. I knew about the powers these creatures wielded, but the glamour their warriors projected about themselves was no less terrifying for it. Nonetheless, I was able to bury my fear in the essence that flowed through me as Milari took my hand.  
The charge of The Order's knights followed the first volleys of arrows, and many of the barbarians fell to our lances as the footmen closed at the flanks of the enemy. The barbarians fought fearlessly, and the fae warriors seemed to revel in the deaths on both sides. The battle was long, but the enemy eventually began to flee. In the confusion, Milari failed to notice one of the fae warriors coming up behind her. It slew her horse in a single blow, and set upon her.  
Horrified, and overcome with concern for my friend and mentor, I leaped from my saddle as I drew my sword, striking the monster as it landed what looked like a killing blow on Milari. By some miracle, I managed to add to the wounds it had received already, enraging it further. It swatted me away, sending me backwards through the air as it turned. I rose unsteadily, ready to die avenging Milari's death, when I felt someone behind me grabbing my arms, holding them in place.  
"She is all yours, Majesty," came Linas' voice, in the tome of one overcome with glamour.  
"And glory at my side shall be yours in return, young warrior," the fae replied, smiling as it advanced. In the heat of battle, nobody noticed what was going on. I struggled against Linas' grip, desperately trying to free myself and grab for my dropped sword.  
As I stood there, helpless but defiant, the fae drew a gossamer knife, and narrowed its eyes.  
"So beautiful," it whispered, "but I will not be surpassed."  
With those words, it plunged the tip of the knife into my eye. I screamed; the blade seemed to burn with a pain that no mortal weapon could ever achieve. Blinded, and with blood flowing down the right side of my face, my head dropped as my strength left me. But even them, I knew that I if I would not live to become a knight, I could at least die like one! Summoning all that I had left within me, I lifted my head to look my enemy in the face as it picked up a discarded spear. Wordlessly, it drove the point through my shoulder and lifted me into the air like a grisly banner. Then, as I hung there, gripping the spear's shaft to stop the point penetrating further, I saw Milari pull herself to her knees with what must have been the last of her strength, and pick up the dire lance she always carried into battle. With a final cry of defiance and a flaring of her anima, she drove the blue jade tip through the creature's back. The fae let out a shriek, and dropped me to the ground before dying. Then, with a warm smile on her lips, Milari closed her eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

It was Sir Salles who found me once the enemy had been driven from the field. It was obvious to him and all others present that I was dying. Weakened, I was lifted onto a stretcher, and carried back to the baggage train. Sitting with me for a while, Sir Salles told me what he had seen, and how I was to be knighted upon our return to the temple. With those words in my mind, I clung to life for the entire two days of the journey, gripped as I was by fever and blood loss.  
The moment we arrived at out destination, I was taken to the sanctum of the temple, supported by a squire on either side as I approached the armour of The Order's founder whose name I had taken, Kayarus. This was the first time I had ever seen the relic, and its beauty would have made me weep had I the strength. It gleamed as the rays of noon struck it through the windows high in the walls of the sanctum, making the clouds of incense all the more visible. I all but whispered my vows, kneeling before the armour with Sir Salles' hand on my shoulder. I pledged my loyalty to The Order, to fighting evil and upholding all that was good in Creation. I felt pride, even through the despair that I would never live to carry those vows out. And finally, I was helped forward to the armour itself, and knelt before the marble plinth, the right gauntlet at face height. On the middle finger was a golden ring, the sunburst symbol of The Golden Order engraved on it. The others squires stood back respectfully as I lowered my head to kiss the ring as ceremony demanded.

The moment my lips touched the Orihalchum, I felt the essence within my body just as when Milari had shared her powers with me. I felt the power flow thorough me, down to my very soul. I was terrified and exhilarated both at once. I could feel strength returning to me as my essence awakened, accompanied by a sudden searing disc of heat on my forehead. The sunlight grew stronger, surrounding me in a blaze of charged essence. There was a mighty roar, as of a lion, and then a voice.  
"You who endured even when reduced to near-nothing, the orphan who became such a skilled warrior, know now that your dedication has been rewarded."  
"You who have marched valiantly against the Darkness, go now with my light that you may banish it forever from Creation."  
"Know now that you have a father in me, you who have known naught but your duty."  
The light then seemed to raise me, and turn me to face towards the window. I lifted my head as the voice spoke again.  
"Look upon my face, and know by whom you are chosen!"  
It was then that this miracle made sense to me. I walked slowly out of the temple, and spread my arms wide, welcoming the Unconquered Sun's blessing into myself. I had been told of the Anathema, and from then on I understood the falsity of what I had heard. They, or rather, we, were not inherently evil. The power they were given was the power to guide the world along the righteous path, which all too easily consumed those who did not know their duty. I knew why I was chosen, and I knew that my duty was even grander than I had ever imagined.  
The light around me faded to a simple golden halo, and I turned, my vitality restored, to see Sir Salles and all those present sinking to their knees. My wounds, except for my eye, were healed and my limbs strong again. I looked at the knights, squires and men-at-arms who had knelt before me, and I confess to feeling somewhat ill at ease as I saw even Sir Salles, a man I regarded as far greater than myself, on one knee with his head bowed. He was a mortal, and that only made him all the more remarkable. It was common for organisations such as The Order to be lead by exalted, but rarely would a mortal rise to such a position. The children of Gods and the chosen of Gaia were willing to take orders from him. Even lacking supernatural powers, or perhaps because he lacked them, he was, in his own way, greater than I was.  
"Do not kneel," I said, my newfound strength causing my voice to carry to the very edges of the courtyard that even those who had come to their windows could hear me.  
"Gifted as I am with this new power, I am bound by duty just as you all are."  
I stepped towards Sir Salles as he rose uncertainly to his feet, and knelt before him, drawing stunned gasps and mutters from the onlookers. Even the members of Linas' clique were looking awed.  
"As a daughter of the Unconquered Sun, I confirm my vows. My loyalty to the Golden Order is unchanged, nay strengthened, and I pledge undying fealty to all that it stands for, my Lord."  
I was answered by the sound of rasping metal as Sir Salles drew his sword. More mutterings were provoked by this. Was he intending to pronounce me a knight, or to take my head as an Anathema? But even though we had spoken but a handful of times over my life, I knew that my word would be enough. And if he judged differently, then I would welcome his blade on my neck. He laid the steel upon my shoulder, and the onlookers released their collective breath.  
"Arise, Lady Kaya," he said, lifting the blade and sheathing it. I rose to my feet, eyes open. I had been knighted in the courtyard, under the gaze of the sun. The event could only have been more perfect if Milari had been alive to see it. My cheeks were wet with tears of joy, alloyed with sorrow which lingered over the death of Milari, which I wiped away.  
I was happier than I had ever been before, and than I can portray in words. In one day, I had been brought back from the gates of Stygia itself, I had breathed my second breath, and I was a knight.


	6. Chapter 6: The Fae

**Fae King Gelana, addressing his court.**

Your old Queen lies slain. And what a beautiful death it was, killed by the last heroic act of a warrior saving the life of her potoge. Why, such a story almost makes our defeat this day seem worthwhile.

But alas, we no longer have our savage thralls to conceal our presence. But perhaps it is time for that chapter of our story to end. The deception was amusing while it lasted, but perhaps it is now time for us to fight under our own banner. Those barbarians' minds were fulfilling in their own way, but now we have the chance to take so much more.

We all felt the thoughts of the knights we faced on the battlefield today, but one of them, I found irresistable. The girl who lives because my predocessor was salin. Such a mind is too precious to waste in Creation.

I felt her mind only briefly, but aiee, such dreams I saw! Dreams of valour, of heroic deeds and conquests.

And so the path for this host becomes clear. We shall take vengence on the warriors who defeated us, and I shall take that girl as my prize. With the aid of one of their own, we shall ride upon them tonight, laying siege to their stronghold in such a manner that no mortal can stand against us. And the few Terrestrial Exalted that remain shall be a reward to my most loyal servants.

And now, young warrior, tell me of their defences. And remember, you will never find me wanting in generosity to those who serve me well...


End file.
